In the summer of 2012, Dr. Ray Addabbo, of the arts and sciences department, invited nine Vaughn students to take part in a new summer program that would combine the study of engineering with mathematics in an intensive five-week research course. The course was designed to give students the opportunity to look at practical issues at a more in-depth level than their regular academic classes allowed.

The 2012 Summer Undergraduate Research Program was a success, and this year Addabbo, along with colleagues Dr. Paul LaVergne, Dr. Amir Elzawawy, Dr. Shouling He, Dr. Hossein Rahemi, Professor Khalid Mouaouya and Professor Thomasita Ortiz invited nine more students to join the program for the first summer session.

“The program went more smoothly this year, because we had more practice and knew what to expect,” said Addabbo. “The students in last year’s program showed tremendous improvement during the academic year, and were able to grasp the information from their classes with ease. This is a trend we’d like to continue.”

The students attended classes four days per week, which covered subjects including error analysis, C++ programming and vector analysis. At the end of the program, the students separated into groups and presented a final project.

“This course taught me skills I never would have learned in my other classes, and covered subjects outside the regular curriculum,” said Othman Amr, a senior at Vaughn. “The class size really helped because you get the individual attention you need while building a stronger connection with the professors.”

Each student was selected from their respective degree programs because of their outstanding performance during the previous semesters.

“During the academic year, the professors take time to answer your questions,” added Victoria Yang, a sophomore. “But during this program they really focus on it, and it gives us a more in-depth grasp of the subject matter, and a more practical knowledge of it.”

Addabbo hopes to continue developing and improving the course over time, with the goal of having it become a permanent offering for Vaughn’s summer sessions.